While Apple enjoys high customer satisfaction ratings, according to numerous reports, for its products including the iPhone, that doesn't mean the device is devoid of problems. One issue that many users have reported as of early 2013 is the sudden disappearance of all their contacts. No identifiable cause as been found for this issue, and it can recur at any time without warning.

A Bug in the Apple

Complicated digital devices, especially computerized ones, sometimes encounter little electronic hiccups that cause problems with their operations. These bugs can occur due to various issues, such as downloading a bad app or a damaged iOS, or seem to appear for no reason at all. The disappearing contact list is a known bug throughout the Apple online community, and many iPhone 4 and 4S users report dealing with this problem. No one has discovered the cause as of October 2013, and Apple hasn't officially addressed the issue.

Warning Signs

You won't receive any warning signs far enough in advance to know this contact deletion is coming to prepare for it, but some iPhone behaviors seem almost universal when the issue appears. In almost all instances of contact disappearance, users report their iPhones behaving oddly, such as suddenly closing apps or kicking them out of text messages or phone calls. Users report they reboot their phones by turning them off and on, only to then discover their contact lists empty.

Restoring Contacts

Once you've discovered your contacts have vanished, get the frustration out of your system, and then set to work rebuilding your list. If you've backed your phone up recently, this is just a matter of connecting to iTunes or iCloud to restore your phone from the latest backup file. If you haven't backed up recently, or ever, rebuilding your contact list means typing in the information manually. When your list is complete, make a backup so you don't have to do it again if your iPhone decides to delete them again.

Update and Back Up Regularly

Upon surviving an unexpected contact list deletion, take action to be ready if or when it should happen again. Always install the most up-to-date version of iOS to minimize or eliminate bugs. Back up the iPhone regularly through iTunes or iCloud to always have an updated contacts list at hand to repopulate the phone. Keep another copy of all your contacts in a text file or spreadsheet so, should the unthinkable happen and even your backups fail, you have a list to speed re-entry of the information.

About the Author

Jane Williams began her writing career in 2000 as the writer and editor of a nationwide marketing company. Her articles have appeared on various websites. Williams briefly attended college for a degree in administration before embarking on her writing career.